


(Yes Sir Prequel) The Last Stop is Also the First

by heartykeykeke



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Easy Read, Fluff, M/M, OngNiel is science, Ongniel, Produce 101 - Freeform, children au, deep in the ongniel trashcan, forever a scientist, i'm taking prompts for more, kang daniel & ong seognwoo, major uwu, ongniel as kids, ongseongwooXkangdaniel, short chapters for once, this story will be rather short, uwu at it's finest, wanna one - Freeform, yes sir prequel, you don't have to have read the original to enjoy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-05-25 11:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14976332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartykeykeke/pseuds/heartykeykeke
Summary: Kang Euigun (Daniel's birth name) and Gong Seongwoo (in Yes Sir, Ong is his adopted name) are best friends since they were toddlers. They are close and naturally affectionate, spending time together often despite their fathers objecting and their age difference. There is not a thing that these two 'partners in crime' don't enjoy doing together. Their mothers love to see them together, they can see how great their chemistry is together, so they go against their husband's wishes to ensure the boys can meet and play often. They have a blast doing anything together, from something mundane as watching a movie to things that another is scared of such as getting into a deep pool without knowing how to swim. The two wish that they will never be separated and even if they had to be apart they promise to not ever forget each other. With their blissful state of innocence, they don't know that that is something that can only be until they are 7-8 years old because their father's 'fued' based on love and revenge gets in the way.





	1. Chapter Index, Intro

Chapter Index.

Each will be rather short I think after the first one, 3,000-6,000 words. Each chapter covers one event that happened with the bffs as kids that year. They met several times throughout the year but only one event will be covered. If I get inspiration to write more, then I will start over from when they were 2-3 and go for another round of events up until they were 7-8. It is difficult to think from the minds of kids and imagine up things they would have done together that have not already appeared as memories in the original story as well. For now, assume this story will be six chapters with six different ongniel as kids scenarious. Hope you enjoy each one even if it's short and it brings you something that the original story I couldn't fit in ^^ Welcome back to Yes Sir~

 

Chapter 1: Ballpit (D is age 2, Seongwoo is 3)

    *Summary: Euigun and his mother visit his mother's friends birthday party. Euigun only cares about playing in the rainbow ball pit. He wears himself out swimming in the plastic ocean and then nearly dies when another boy lays on top of him. That's how Seongwoo and Euigun become friends.

Chapter 2: Seongwoo's Birthday Party (D is 3, Seongwoo is just turned 5)

    *Summary: Daniel goes to visit Seongwoo, his bff, at his 5th birthday party in Seongwoo's back yard. He gives him a hand made present, they eat bbq and cake, they swim in a blow-up pool, harass the clown, and play with Seongwoo's other friends and cousins. Euigun does whatever he can to keep Seongwoo happy, even when he's down because of his 'flaws'. 

Chapter 3: Halloween (D is 4, Seongwoo is 5)

    *Summary: Euigun and Seongwoo dress up as a black cat and white dog to go trick or treating together with their mothers. Seongwoo is there for Euigun when he gets terrified from a neighbor's haunted house they go through for charity. Seongwoo spends the night at Euigun's house, watching scary movies under a homemade fort. 

Chapter 4: Christmas (D is 5, Seongwoo is 6)

    *Summary: Christmas plans get canceled and the two families get stuck inside because of snow. Euigun and his mother stay at Seongwoo's house to soak in their warm atmosphere, Seongwoo's father cosplays as santa and acts as the loving father that Euigun wishes he had, the bffs play in the snow, watch Home Alone together, and open presents. The happy holiday is overshadowed by Euigun and his mother's hateful feelings towards their absent father/husband and Seongwoo works hard to make the atmosphere bright in comforting them. 

Chapter 5: Bike Lessons (Daniel is 6, Seongwoo is 7)

    *Summary: Seongwoo is embarassed to admit that he can swim but he cannot ride a bike at his age while Euigun can now do both. Euigun tricks him into playing a game and as the winner, he makes Seongwoo let him teach him how to ride a bike. 

Chapter 6: English Class (Daniel is 7, Seongwoo is 8)

    *Summary: Seongwoo and Euigun take an English class together, both crushing on their pretty Korean-American teacher with mixed blood. They compete for her affections and cause various childish, comical issues in class. The teacher tries to patch up their friendship without making either jealous or hating her. 


	2. Chapter 1: Rainbow Ballpit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the first chapter, Daniel goes by Euigun, his birth name, and he is 2 years old. Seongwoo is one year older, at three years old, his name is then Gong Seongwoo. They both live in Busan as neighbors and their parents are rather close. .Euigun and his mother visit his mother's friends birthday party, that being Seongwoo's mother. Euigun only cares about playing in the rainbow ball pit. He wears himself out swimming in the plastic ocean and then nearly dies when another boy, Seongwoo, lays on top of him. That's how Seongwoo and Euigun become friends. They play together on the jungle gym and slide and chat. All is well until Seongwoo teases prideful Euigun about being a baby. Then, Euigun starts crying and it doesn't seem like he will be able to stop. Mom comes to the rescue but will they be able to patch things up?

“But Mom, I was still playing my game…” Kang Euigun at two years old pouted at his mother as she dragged him into the colorful building.

She rolled her eyes and squeezed his small, chubby hand. “You are going to have a lot more fun here than any contraption you’ve gotten your paws on from your father who’s too lazy to play with you, I can tell you that. There is a kids area with a playground and there will be kids your age there to play with. Seongwoo is even there…”

“Seongwoo? Who’s that? I don’t remember anyone with such a pretty name…” Euigun scrunched up his cute, fleshy face, his almond eyes almost disappearing into his cheeks.

His mother chuckled, shaking her head. “You met him several times and you forget every time somehow. It’s okay. I’m sure you guys will get along right away just as you always do. It worries me sometimes, your terrible memory. The doctor told me it’s normal for your age but I hope you’re not developing slower than other kids…”

His brows furrowed over his chubby, pale face. “What do you mean…? I don’t understand half of what you’re saying now, Mommy.”

His plump yet extremely cute, kind mother patted the top of his long black curls. “It’s okay. You don’t always need to understand what adults say, son. It’s better if you don’t, especially at times like these…”

His mother’s face went dark as happened a few times every other day or so. It concerned him but that was soon wiped out of his mind completely as he became awed by the sight before them. Beyond the glass walls, there was a party going on in full force. There was a table with a huge cake, banners, balloons, a small table with a pile of presents, and most importantly a giant play area. To Euigun, it was heaven on Earth. He had never seen a play area so nice. It had places to climb, slides, swings, a ball pit, peddle cars, skyscrapers full of plastic and rope tunnels, and the best part of all a trampoline area.

“You can’t go in the bounce house, Euigun,” his mother said with a stern voice and narrowed eyes, reading his mind.

The two-year old boy dressed in baggy hip hop style clothes pulled a ‘hing’ face of distress as if the whole world was against him and his mother had said the most unfair thing in the world.

She went on to explain in a rational, soft tone to appeal to him before he threw a tantrum, “The kids here are obviously much bigger than you. You could get hurt. I’d prefer you played in the ball pit with the kids more your size.”

Euigun still took offense and stamped his feet. “You’re basically saying I’m as small as a bean, right? I will grow big and strong just like Daddy, no, even more so. Just watch!”

Euigun was about to take off to the play area when his mother grabbed him around the waist and drug him to the table surrounded by a bunch of gossiping ajummas. He recognized two of them as his mother’s friends. She hugged one pretty, tall, skinny lady with a kind smile but slightly sad eyes. Euigun hid shyly behind his mother's leg, waved and smiled.

“It’s so great you could make it dear. Is this Euigun? Wow, it’s been only a couple weeks it seems but he sure grew up a lot already! He's as adorable as a peach~”

That reminded him of his father's business. He liked the 'Apeach' charachter, he was even wearing a shirt with it, but he didn't really like the taste of peaches. And peaches took his father away most of his life so he wasn't a fan of the word 'peach'. His mother knew this and patted his head gently. 

“He eats really well. Two helpings of rice every day,” his mother said proudly.

Euigun held up his arms like superman did, trying to show off how strong and big he was since the woman had last seen him. He liked being though of as a 'big boy' and wished he could hear the word manly. The woman went 'woah, nice arms already' and squeezed where his muscles would be in the future. Euigun smiled wide with pride. 

“We have lots to catch up on. Euigun will be bored with our talk. There’s people watching the playground area and Seongwoo is there to look out for him. He’s literally swimming around in the pit right now. I’m sure you will bump into him. Run along and play, handsome~” The pretty lady Euigun recalled just then was a church friend and a neighbor pushed him gently towards the pit full of rainbow colored plastic balls kids were splashing and jumping about it in.

 

 

Euigun looked up hesitantly at his mother and saw her nod of approval. Then he took off as fast as he could for the pit. He shouted ‘blast off!’ as he jumped with his arms and legs spread like a flying squirrel. He dove head first into the pile of squishy, air filled, rainbow colored balls and started swimming frantically. He couldn’t swim for real but he imitated the way he’d seen dogs do. When he poked his head up several minutes later, he noticed that his father had arrived, as usual in a suit with an unpleasant expression. He was looking even more unfriendly than usual however. Euigun guessed he didn’t like the casually dressed, handsome, tall guy that he was talking to despite the man was being extra friendly to him as if trying to get on his good side.

“Try all you want, you ain’t gonna melt my old man’s icy heart,” he muttered to himself.

He checked to see if his mother was doing well. She was so engaged in conversation she hadn’t yet seemed to notice that he had arrived. That was a good thing. His mother could be happy and stress-free for a bit longer. He liked seeing his mother with her friends. She became a totally different person, she seemed bubbly, bright, younger, and genuinely happy.

Euigun stared up at the ceiling for a while in a section of the ballpit that didn’t have many children active in it. He grew sleepy from his burst of exercise and the adrenaline having spilled through his body once he entered the pit. Since he was young, he got sleepy easily and had to take several naps a day. He somehow ended up falling asleep buried in the plastic rainbow ocean.

He woke up at some point because he felt something heavy on top of him. He panicked as he started sinking and his entire head became buried.

“Help! I’m drowning!” He cried, flailing his limbs with fervor, and gasping for air as he sank into the warm, plastic ocean.

“Oh my gosh. Is there someone in there? I’m so sorry!” the soft, high pitched voice of a boy came from above him and the pressure was thankfully gone.

The boy continued to apologize and half laugh nervously as he dug through the piles of balls to reach him. The boy grabbed Euigun’s arms firmly and yanked as hard as he could but he wasn’t much bigger despite clearly being older, so once Euigun’s head popped up, the skinny, pale boy flopped back into the balls himself. Euigun gasped for air, thankful to be alive and able to breathe comfortably again.

“Sorry again…” he huffed and smiled wide, clearly trying to make it up to him for what errs he had just made.

“Ah, it’s fine. I just got panicked. It’s my fault for falling asleep here. It’s not my bed even.”

“It’s comfortable enough to sleep in though, right?”

“Yeah, it’s like a cloud. Do you need help?”

“Nah, I got it I think.”

They both stood up in the pit. Though their feet reached the bottom, the balls went up to their shoulders. The boy across from him was kind and handsome with three freckles in a triangle on his cheek and dark messy long hair that fell into his eyes, which were large, round, and deep set. His lips were unusually shaped long and thin like a kitten and when he smiled he had a dimple in his upper lip. His nose was shaped like a sculpture, making him appear almost like a mixed person. Euigun knew that he couldn’t have possibly had surgery at his young age. He felt like a potato next to this naturally good looking kid. His mother always said that he was cute now and would grow up to be as handsome as any of the singers he frequently watched on TV but he didn’t really believe her. This boy looked just like them. For a while, they simply blinked and smiled at each other across the ocean of rainbow balls. 

 

 

“Wah, you’re really handsome!”

“Eh? I’m not but thanks…er, my name is Seongwoo. I think we might have met before...?” the boy nervously laughed which was quite a cute sound and scratched the back of his head, sticking out his tongue and his pretty chocolaty eyes shifting down in a shy fashion.

Euigun vehemently shook his head. “No way. I would have remembered. I’m Euigun.”

“Eegun? Eugun?” Seongwoo furrowed his dark, shapely brows as he cocked his head left and then right just like a cat.

Euigun repeated his name, drawing out the syllables slowly, “Eu-i-gun.”

“Eu-i-gun. Weegun. Hmm? That’s hard to say,” Seongwoo laughed after trying a few times and failing.

He apologized but Euigun told him not to mind. He wasn’t offended. He was already used to it. The past year since he had learned to say his name, no one had been able to say it right beside his mother. Even his own father said something else.

“I think it’s kind of neat. I wish that I didn’t have a name that was so common. There’s hundreds of Seongwoo’s in this country. Even in my school, I know of three. I will keep practicing until I get it right, promise.”

“Ah, that’s nice of you.” Euigun grinned wide, liking this boy instantly. Most people said that he should change his name because it was weird and too difficult and then they made up their own nicknames for him.

Seongwoo flicked his tongue over his lips and pulled at his ears in another nervous or shy habit. “I’m a pretty nice guy, I guess, after all.”

Yeah, you do seem like it. I found a nice hyung, Eigun thought.

“Do you want to play with me? Or are you…?” he asked shyly, poking at a yellow plastic ball between them. Euigun wasn’t that good at making friends yet, especially with the guys that he thought were pretty cool. He didn't know that many words and his pronunciation wasn't very good yet.

Seeing that Seongwoo started poking at a red ball as if mimicking him at nearly the same time and couldn’t maintain eye contact for more than a couple seconds at a time, he had the same issue. That was funny because he seemed like the sort of hyung that would have an entire bus full of friends.

“Oh, er, no I’m not here with anyone. It’s my mom’s birthday but I don’t know any of these kids her friends brought. I don’t mind playing together, well, if you don’t mind that is…”

Oh, so it was his mother’s birthday. Then that friend his mother was with earlier, the tall, pretty, skinny lady with the kind smile and sad eyes must be his mother seeing as she was currently organizing the presents. Euigun told him to tell his mother ‘happy birthday’ for him and then that got them on the discussion of ages. Euigun found out that Seongwoo was one year and a couple months older than him.

“Let’s play then, Seongwoo hyung! Want to go to the jungle gym?” he asked hopefully, having had his eye on it next.

“Sure. I’m not a good climber though, I’ve got to warn you. I’m clumsy.”

“Ah, really? I’ll teach you the best way then. I’m actually a monkey.” Euigun smiled proudly as he took the older boy’s hand and ran towards the jungle gym area.

 

 

They held hands as they raced from the pit across the padded floor to the towering skyscrapers of plastic tunnels and rope ladders that was the giant jungle gym. Euigun went up the rope ladder first, Seongwoo watching how he did it and then clumsily, slowly attempting afterwards. There was quite a gap in their speed and skill but Euigun waited for Seongwoo at the top. Seongwoo was sweating and showed his marked hands, wincing, when he got to the top. Euigun pouted and rubbed them.

“Be careful, hyung. You shouldn’t be gripping so tightly. Lift more with your legs next time.”

 

“Easier said than done. I’ve got spaghetti legs.”

Eiugun laughed at his hyung’s silly analogy. “Spaghetti is yummy.”

“I think so too. It’s super yummy.”

They both gave each other a thumbs up. Euigun noticed that Seongwoo's long thumbs bent back quite far in an unnatural way. 'Wah' he said, looking around at them from all angles in fascination. Seongwoo repeatedly showed him so he could go 'wah~' some more.

“Are you hungry?” Euigun asked, rubbing his tummy as it growled like a tiger.

“I’m always hungry.”

“Me too. I can’t wait until we get cake.”

Seongwoo bragged, smugly straightening up his shoulders, “My mommy says I will get my own cake on my next birthday. There’s one for everyone to eat and then there’s another for me to smush up and eat with my bare hands.”

“Oh, that sounds fun! My mommy and daddy always make me eat with a spoon or fork or chopsticks. They would freak if I got the table or floor messy, especially if that got on Daddy’s expensive suits.”

Seongwoo scrunched up his face and stuck out his tongue like he had accidentally tasted ear wax on his fingers, but he was still handsome Euigun noticed. “Ew, they sounds so…strict and rigid. Like sticks.”

“My mommy is only like that when my daddy is around though mainly. She doesn’t want us to get scolded and she’s trying to look good for him for some reason.”

“Ah, mommies and daddies are complicated. I think I don’t want to get married. I’d rather be free and do whatever I want. No nagging.”

“I think so too. High five!”

They shared a high five, forgetting that Seongwoo’s hands were marked and rope burned. He hissed and Euigun instantly grabbed his hands gently, apologizing profusely and expressing concern. Then, Seongwoo insisted he was just fine since he was a man after all and this was nothing compared to other things like a broken leg or a knife cut. Euigun insisted he was a man as well, just as strong as iron man, and showed off his arm muscles. Seongwoo was impressed at how much thicker and more solid the younger boy's arms were compared to his already. 

 

 

They moved on through the plastic tunnel. Inside the tunnel were windows cut out. They bravely stuck their heads out and called across the room to their parents. Their parents looked up in surprise, concern on their faces until they saw that the two were together and smiling. Their fathers shared an odd look but their mothers beamed to see them together, talking and giggling to each other about something.

Then the two boys called goodbye to them and continued on through the tunnel, Eigun holding onto Seongwoo for support in case the clumsy boy tripped on the rope crossing floor again and freaked out that he was going to fall through like an Indiana Jones film. Seongwoo listened closely and furrowed his perfect brows in heavy concentration as he stepped where Euigun showed him to and was careful about the balance of his body. Because he listened to his new younger friend, Seongwoo didn’t fall even once more through the entire long, subway like tunnel.

They went through the series of tunnels and climbable layers in the tower until they were at the top. There, there was a sailor’s wheel. They pretended that they were sailing a ship across the ocean and the people were various kinds of sea animals they were either trying to avoid or capture to eat for dinner. After they were bored of that, they went down the slide that was coiled down several meters to the ballpit like a snake. Seongwoo was a bit anxious to ride the slide that far and to be honest Euigun felt like it really was quite high and he got dizzy easily. They sat with Seongwoo behind Euigun and wrapping his arms around the younger boy’s waist at the top of the slide.

“Are you ready?” Euigun asked as he grabbed the edges of the yellow plastic side and rocked their upper bodies back and forth.

“Uh…I guess so…Sorry in advance for screaming into your ear and possibly wrecking your hearing,” the older boy murmured with apprehension and slight shakiness, his thin, long arms constricting around the younger’s ample, Apeach covered tummy.

“It’s okay. Let’s go. Three, two…one!”

They counted down together and pushed and pulled themselves to start the motion of going down the slide. They cheered, both of them finding the slide more enjoyable and less scary than they thought it would be as they spun down in rapid circles, bumping up against the slides, stuck together loosely. Seongwoo was careful to keep his volume slightly down since his mouth was really close to Euigun’s ear.

They flew through the air when they reached the bottom and landed in a heap of tangled, gangly little boy limbs, laughing in sheer delight. They commented about how fun it had been and then Seongwoo suggested they have a swimming race to the other side of the pit. Seongwoo clearly had more experience and more powerful arms or something because he was there several seconds before Euigun was, sitting at the edge and cheering for him with his arms shaking up and down vigorously.

“Eui-gun, Eui-gun, Eui-gun~”

Seongwoo grabbed his hands and helped him up. Euigun passed out on the floor, sweating like a pig. Seongwoo dabbed at his forehead with his oversized sleeve, smiling sweetly down at him and chuckling.

“Good job. Almost thought I’d lost you in the rainbow sea there for a minute.”

“I thought I wasn’t going to make it. I blacked out for a bit. Am I still unfortunately named Euigun?”

Seongwoo laughed brightly, his entire face changing in a cute manner. “Yes, but not unfortunately. I like your name like I said. It’s got character.”

Euigun frowned at the foreign sounding word. “Character? What’s that? You mean like the characters in a movie or animation?”

 

 

Seongwoo laughed harder, his pretty eyes closing, shook his head, and then tossed a blue and green ball at him. “You don’t know English yet then I guess. You probably haven’t learned ABC or Hello even since you’re a baby.”

Euigun pouted, sat up, and started raining balls on him. “I’m no baby! I’m two years old now! Baby is like one years old, okay? Don’t be mean!”

“Baby, baby, baby~” Seongwoo teased him as he threw balls back in his face.

Eiugun got hit by the balls, bit his lip, and fought back the tears that were springing to his eyes. He hated being called a baby. He wanted to grow up as fast as possible. He wanted to be called a 'big boy' already and he wanted to be handsome and cool like this hyung. It was frustrating and embarassing that he was a short, weak, chubby baby still, now he was basically being called stupid for not knowing some other language. 

“Wait, Euigun, don’t cry. I was just joking…You can’t take a little joke? Er, sorry, don’t cry please…” Seongwoo stopped when he saw the tears coming.

The balls dropped to the floor. He patted Euigun’s shoulder in comfort and shushed him, praying that he wouldn’t cry but it was too late to stop the waterworks once they got started even if Euigun tried his best because he didn’t want to come across as a baby in front of his new hyung.

“Wah~”

 

 

“What’s wrong? Why is my boy crying?” Euigun’s mother rushed over when she saw that her son had burst into tears in the middle of the pool.

Seongwoo rubbed the sobbing, scrunched up faced younger boy’s shoulders and shushed him further, panicked that he was going to get in trouble for hurting the boy’s feelings.

“He’s not hurt or anything. I was just teasing him for being a baby. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t know that he was this sensitive to that word…” Seongwoo apologized profusely, humbly bowing to her as deep as he could go.

“Ah, it’s alright, Seongwoo. He probably wouldn’t have cried if he wasn’t tired. He didn’t get a proper nap today and usually now is about the time he gets a bit moody. My Euigun is just a typical Busan guy. He’s got a lot of pride is all. You’re not a baby, honey. Maybe you are young but you’re a big, strong, smart boy, especially for your age. Stop crying now or people will think you really are one. Now, hush, honey~”

Once that Euigun was out of the pit and in his mother’s arms hugging her tight around the neck, his noisy sobbing stopped almost instantly. Seongwoo hung around behind her back, holding and shaking Euigun’s hand lightly with an apologetic, concerned expression. She turned around and pat Seongwoo’s head. Euigun was merely sniffling, his fleshy, rounded face puffier and red and wet with rivers of clear tears.

“Sorry Euigun, don’t hate me please. I don’t have many friends…” Seongwoo pleaded softly with an anxious look.

“Hyung is a liar. You must have a lot of friends. Because hyung is handsome and handsome guys are always popupular…” Euigun grumbled in a baby voice with some more soft sniffling, mispronouncing the word in a cute fashion.

His mother chuckled and bounced him, patting his back. “What does someone being handsome have to do with having lots of friends? Silly boy~”

“I don’t. I’m kind of shy and quiet when I first meet people.”

“You weren’t with me…” Euigun pointed out, lightly squeezing Seongwoo’s fingers as if he didn’t want to be apart and got more comfort from his touch than he even got from his mother.

“That’s because you know each other. You just forget every time because you’re so young. Every time you meet you become instant friends and then you ask about each other for a couple days. Then a few more days past that and you forget again. Why don’t you stop forgetting each other?” Euigun's mother explained, ending in a teasing, light tone.

Seongwoo's mother was there, petting her handsome son's long, messy, straight locks and smiling at him in reassurance that he hadn't done anything that wrong. “Ah, I have an idea. Let’s take pictures of them together, print them, and then stick them on their fridge. We can set up playdates.”

“Sure, that would be great. Seongwoo just changed kindergartens so he doesn’t go so far away and he will have more free time after his classes are finished.”

Euigun was impressed that his hyung was already going to school. He had heard that you weren’t supposed to start school until you were five years old. Seongwoo must be an advanced child. Somehow he was proud of his hyung. Seongwoo saw Euigun’s smile and felt instantly relieved, flashing a smile of his own.

“Wait here!”

“Seongwoo, where are you going? Don’t run so fast! Careful or you’ll trip!” his mother called, following him anxiously as he took off to the presents table.

 

 

From underneath the table, Seongwoo pulled out a small square black bag with three stars on it sewn in white. It was a handmade present from his mother for his last birthday. The stars were in the exact same position as the freckles on his cheek. He put it over his shoulder and ran back, again at the speed of light and ignoring his mother’s concerned face and gasp when he tripped over someone and almost fell flat on his face.

“What’s that, hyung?” Euigun asked as the boy ran to his side.

His mother had put him down because he was too heavy to hold for long as much as he enjoyed it and insisted she didn't let him go.

“It’s my candy bag. I have my favorites in here still. Would you like a few? I’m really sorry I called you that. I had no idea you were sensitive about it.”

“Ah, I think I might just forget if you give me these…”

They emptied out the contents of the bag so Euigun could see clearly. He had all sorts of goodies in there. The two kids oo-ed and aw-ed over the sugary treats like they were gems and gold found in a treasure chest and they were broke pirates. Then, they counted them all out, there was over a hundred candies in that little shoulder bag. Euigun complimented him for being strong to carry that all around and Seongwoo proudly flexed his noodle-thin, gangly, pale arms, boasting that he was stronger than he looked.

Seongwoo opened the wrappers for him since Euigun's small, clumsy fingers couldn't yet and gave them to the younger who sucked on them happily. Seongwoo then popped in a lollipop of his own and smiled at his friend as they sat on the plush mat floor, taking a rest.

Their parents were surrounding them. Their fathers seemed like they didn’t much like the idea of them being close and further hanging out in the future. However, their mothers were either oblivious or determined not to let the men’s worries further dampen their spirits. They commented about how good they looked together and how well they played together, not the least bit argumentative or mean to each other. Seongwoo promised to take good care of his new dongsaeng like his mother asked and Euigun promised to learn from Seongwoo and develop his good manners and gentle, kind, humble character to his mother. They went around the room, talking on and on but their parents said half of it only those two could understand, as if they communicated on a different level with their own language already. Their parents took several pictures of them throughout the day.

 

 

A couple hours after the boys met, Euigun teared up when his parents said that they had to go because his mother needed to prepare dinner and his father had a business meeting in the morning to prepare for. Euigun complained about how he didn’t want to leave yet, he wanted to play and talk to Seongwoo more, he was scared that he wasn’t going to see him again like what happened before. The adults promised that they would see each other very soon but Euigun for some reason didn’t believe them. He felt like their fathers would try to keep them apart for some reason and was skeptical that that was the reason they hadn’t met very often to the point they couldn’t even remember meeting each other before.

He hugged Seongwoo around the neck, clinging to his tall, small frame, refusing to let go even when his mother tugged on him. Seongwoo told Euigun’s mother who looked hopeless and rather heartbroken that he would take care of it. He hugged the thicker, shorter boy back and pet his shoulders, shushing him. Euigun calmed, loosening his grip, but he still continued to hug the older, burying his pouty, puffy face into his shirt.

“I don’t want to go. I don’t want you to disappear hyung…” he whined in a high-pitched baby tone.

 

Seongwoo's voice then was as soft and soothing as a cotton baby blanket, wrapping around him warmly. “I’m not going to this time. We’re going to meet again Euigun. Our parents promised. I will promise you too. Even if we can’t meet for a long time more. Like weeks. I promise that I won’t forget you. I will visit your house soon or see you at church. Keep looking at your fridge and I will be there. You don’t forget either.”

Euigun insisted, sniffling, “I could never forget you, hyung. You have these cool freckles and you’re handsome.”

“Stop calling me handsome. It makes me shyer,” Seongwoo chuckled, pulling back and pinching him on the nose and wiping away some dewy tears condensing on the fat under his almond shaped eyes.

They crossed their pinky fingers together and promised that they wouldn’t forget each other until the next time they met and could play together. This time, they really wouldn’t forget, ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Yes Sir Prequel, the mini story that came before these perfect best friends got separated cruely by their selfish fathers and other unfortunate events. This story will contain a short chapter with a single event from each year they remember being friends. It will be fluffy, sweet, and comical, with focus more on how great of friends they always were and how naturally comfortable and affectionate and caring they always were. This will show hopefully why the boys were able to get close and fall in love very quickly in the original story because basically they have always loved each other on some level and that can't fully be forgotten. Cue everyone going 'awwwww'. Yeah, I know this idea is full of 'uwu' .
> 
> Each chapter, I hope that you can search for the mention of their feeling of forboding separation from their fathers and their strong desire to stay together. This time was rather obvious there at the end but other times it might not be so obvious but these two ideas are always there. It will be like a treasure hunt for you and it also gives this story some more meaning.
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed the first chapter. Writing Ongniel as children is really difficult for me because I have to think of what they look like, how their personalities would be, how they would talk, and how they would interact which is obviously going to be different than how they are in real life and how I've written them in any story. For now, I think I can pull off six chapters but I cannot promise more than that. If you want to see more, just send me an idea~
> 
>  Please tell me what you think below, maybe upvote and recommend to your friends if you like it~ You don't necessarily have to have read Yes Sir to enjoy it since it's not directly connected.
> 
> See you in a week or so with the next chapter! While you are waiting, check out my other ongoing story Ongholics! And to be friends with me and get updates on stories or ongniel, just follow me on twitter~ @heartykeykeke1
> 
> <3 Raina


	3. Actually Chapter 2: Birthday Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel goes to visit Seongwoo, his bff, at his 5th birthday party in Seongwoo's back yard. He gives him a hand made present, they eat bbq and cake, they swim in a blow-up pool, harass the clown, and play with Seongwoo's other friends and cousins. Euigun does whatever he can to keep Seongwoo happy, even when he's down because of his various 'flaws' and feeling the pressure to keep up his handsome, perfect image. 

“Careful, son. You really just had to insist on carrying that big present all by yourself huh?” Euigun’s mother chuckled as she watched her chubby, always grinning, bubbly three-year-old son balance a glittering, golden present with a giant purple bow on top of his head precariously, her hands out stretched nearby it in case it fell.

The boy insisted with pride for the tenth time today, “I got it, Mommy. I’m strong.”

She barely resisted from teasing  him and rolling her eyes, knowing how stubborn and sensitive he was and not wanting to ruin his vivacious mood. "Yes, yes, I know you are. You tell me every day. Not Kang Euigun, but ‘KANG’ Euigun.”

Their family name could be used as a pun for meaning ‘strong’. Once her son had found this out, there wasn’t a day that went by that he hadn’t mentioned it and snickered to himself despite she didn’t think most people would have found it the least bit funny, even half the kids his age. Her sweet boy was just an oddball like that—he was often laughing and most of the time it was over the stupidest of things. It was a positive characteristic but it was sure to annoy his classmates later.

“Oh, it’s Seongwoo! Seongwoo, I’m here! Did you miss me? Happy Birthday!”

Just as she had predicted, as soon as her son got distracted and his concentration was broken from hyperness, he forgot all about the present which he nearly tossed to the floor. She grabbed it just in time and shook her head with a small smile as she saw her son run to a slightly taller boy that was dressed sharply, the birthday boy, his best friend that he adored. Despite knoeing she knew shouldn’t be such a big part of their lives because it upset her husband and caused fights between them, she couldn’t bring herself to come between them. The boys just seemed so delighted to be together and they matched so well. She also liked having an excuse to meet Seongwoo’s mother outside of church.

She liked the skinny, handsome, polite boy and his entire family, they made her feel cheerful when married life with a hardly ever present business man stressed her out and made her feel slightly lonely in a way that even her son couldn’t cure with his cute, affectionate antics.

She carefully held the box which had a ceramic statue that Euigun had hand made along with her in a ceramics class for Seongwoo’s birthday. Only he knew what it was but he had said it was a secret that was only going to be between him and Seongwoo. He insisted that Seongwoo would know instantly what it was but somehow she doubted that. Seongwoo was quite a bit more mature and sensible than her son, though he often deliberately matched his level by acting otherwise when they played together to make Euigun laugh and feel appreciated. That was one of the hundreds of great things about the boy she adored enough that she would adopt him without hesitation if something ever happened to his family. He was going to be a fine man some day and she almost envied his future spouse.

“You should call him hyung! As of today, for a few months he’s now two years older than you!” she scolded her son who was brimming with happiness as he ran to his best friend as if he were being chased by a momstromo bug.

“I don’t need to call him hyung, mom. We’re friends. He doesn’t feel like a hyung anyway. He’s just as silly as me!”

Seongwoo nodded, releasing him from a bear hug. He turned to Euigun’s mom and politely bowed 90 degrees to her, then offering to carry the present. She gave him a hug, patted his head, and wished him a happy birthday and asked if he and his family had been well these days. He explained that his mother was sick and then planning his party so she hadn’t been able to call friends back or even go to church on the weekends recently.

 

 

Seongwoo carried the present and led them though the house to the backyard. The entire garden area was decorated like something out of a fantasy book with lace, streamers, colored lights, and mini animal statues. Seongwoo added the present to the pile after slightly shaking it to see if he could guess what it is. Euigun helped him put it at the very top of the pyramid, then he held Seongwoo’s hand. Seongwoo pulled him around the house to show him all that his parents had prepared for his birthday and introduce him to his various family members, excitedly babbling and showing the cute boy with his hair styled up that would surely only last another hour off as his best friend.

They chatted in a bubbly fashion, swinging their linked hands back and forth as they walked around the house towards the area where the cake sat.

Seongwoo wondered, “What did you get me? I only heard some rustling sounds.”

Euigun smirked evilly. “You have to guess. But you will never guess. Because I got you something special you couldn't  think  of  so there isn't any duplicates this year.”

“A stuffed animal? A drone? A coloring book? Stickers? An art set? Comic books?” Seongwoo stated everything he could think of.

Euigun chuckled here and there, shaking his head and smiling wide with satisfaction and confidence. Seongwoo wasn’t able to guess it even after he had said nearly a hundred things. It was clearly driving the boy bonkers because Seongwoo was the type that loved guessing things.

“Ugh, for the first time in my life, fine! I give up! Just tell me already~” he jumped up and down in a circle looking like a hyper squirrel. 

“I can’t. That would ruin the surprise. You’ll just have to wait until it’s present opening time!”

The tall, gangly five-year-old with his dark brown locks styled up in waves scrunched his pale handsome face into the cutest ‘hing’ his friend had ever seen. Seongwoo wiggled his entire body like a worm in complaint, sticking his hands out.

“I don’t want to wait~” he whined. “I want my present now. Juseyong!”

Euigun laughed, shyly putting his hand over his mouth. The aegyo attack even from an older guy was effective. He’d give him the present instantly if he had had it on him at the time.

“What’s ‘juseyong’? Are you a cat? That’s cute.”

Seongwoo pouted further and lightly smacked his arm. “I’m not cute~”

“No, you really, really are. That’s why I can’t call you hyung. You look like you’re younger than me when you get like this.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. I’m not cute, hing~” Seongwoo hid his blushing face in his hand like he was about to die from embarrassment.

Euigun hugged him loosely, finding his affection for the older man too strong not to be able to resist. They hugged and held hands often anyway, since kids didn’t think much of this as adults did. They didn't understand way though. It felt really nice. 

“Hmm, you’re funny at five years old as well, luckily. I hope you never grow up and get serious. It would be such a shame. But I’m hungry. When do we eat?”

Seongwoo laughed into his shoulder as he pinched the younger boy’s fleshy stomach. “When are you not hungry? You're like a trash can. Don't worry. We’re going to be having a barbeque very soon.”

"Yes! Meat, meat, meaaaat!" He cheered with their fists pumping in the air.

Seongwoo was less enthusiastic but obliged. "I knew you would react that way. Like a T-Rex."

 

 

After that, they played dinosaur until it was time to eat. Euigun ate only meat basically until his stomach was sticking out like a balloon which Seongwoo enjoyed poking, making the younger admit a tortured, annoyed sound. The kids were done eating earlier than the adults so they played around in the yard. There were balls, hula hoops, a clown who made balloon animals and did magic tricks, and a mini playground.

Seongwoo stuck with Euigun and the other way around as they tried out everything. That was just what was comfortable and natural. Most of the kids liked playing soccer or sliding whereas those two had more fun challenging each other with who could hula hoop the longest and harassed the clown by poking him, teasing him, stealing his balloons, and pulling off his rainbow wig. No one could stop them because it was the birthday boy and his best friend after all, but that didn’t stop the clown from getting annoyed and snapping at them in his squeaky tone.

 

“It’s cake time!” Seongwoo’s mother called, saving the clown from the boys’ torture.

The kids stampeded from all directions towards the table with a large tiered cake decorated in squirrels from Seongwoo’s favorite animation which he also happened to look like. Euigun was often commenting about it until eventually Seongwoo saw it and admitted it as well. It was good to see that he had accepted and taken it to the next level with his party decorations.

Seongwoo got to have the top tier all to his self, just like he had said his parents promised him before. He was allowed to eat it with his hands and make a total mess. His mother said she was going to throw out his clothes and they would go into the swimming pool right after. Seongwoo smashed and tossed the cake about in wild abandon, laughing wildly and smushing it all over his face. Euigun sat next to him as the other kids circled around to watch with their own slices on a plate they ate neatly with plastic forks. He took some of the brown frosting and smeared it over Seongwoo’s forehead and nose. Suddenly Seongwoo stopped with his eyes widened in horror.

“Oh no, the adults are taking pictures right! They will have proof of me looking hideous later. They could use it against me. I look awful, don’t I?”

These days Seongwoo had been worried about his appearance. He had heard that he was ‘handsome’ so often that he felt pressured to look that way all the time. He was scared of getting uglier as he grew older, especially as he got closer to turning five years old.

“You look great as always. Even a chocolaty cake beard can’t hide the fact that you’re handsome, Seongwoo. Just relax and have fun,” Euigun reassured with a soft, affectionate smile as he pushed some escaping hairs back off his forehead less they come in contact with the sugary mess.

“Oh, good. You’re right. I shouldn’t worry about that sort of thing now. It’s my special day. I will just have fun and not think about if the pictures will turn out well or not. I’m sure my mom will take care of it.”

Euigun hadn’t said it but he had been thinking something similar. Seongwoo must have a mind reading power, he figured. He smiled proudly as he watched Seongwoo lick his small, chocolate smeared fingers, thinking his friend was the coolest in the world.

 

 

After cake was present time. Seongwoo sat on a chair tied with rainbow colored star baloons next to the huge present pyramid. The others sat in chairs or on the ground around him, most with colorful cone hats.

Euigun asked Seongwoo to either open up his present first or last and Seongwoo chose first because it was at the top of the pile and because he was still itching with curiosity about it. He first took off the bow and placed it on top of his head. He clumsily tore off the wrapping paper in his haste to get the box open, apologizing that he wasn’t good at figuring out how to open something neatly.

His pale, bare body was littered in gold wrapping paper. It matched the color of his swimsuit. Gold and purple were currently Seongwoo’s favorite colors, though it seemed to change every month.

At Euigun’s insistence, his mother was filming Seongwoo opening their present at closeup range. Seongwoo looked at the camera as he opened the box and did a V sign because he mistakenly thought he was doing a picture. He smiled sheepishly and turned red up to his ears when she told him it was a video.  Seongwoo went back to the box. He had to take out a ton of tissue paper and then undo some tape to find the painted, clay figurine inside. He picked it up and looked at it curiously from all sorts of angles left and right. Euigun pulled at the grass, leaning forward with excitement at Seongwoo’s reaction. It wasn’t at all what he had been expecting though. Seongwoo looked confused and unsure of how to react.

“Um..what is it?”

Euigun groaned, his face looking crestfallen. His mother laughed and playfully poked the top of his head. “You said he would know even if I didn’t, Euigun-ah. Even he doesn’t know, like I told you. Go ahead and tell us the secret~”

“It’s Dewong, your favorite pokemon. It looks just like it!”

Seongwoo nodded. nodd? Ah, the fat, white seal~! I see it! Wow, thanks Euigun-ah! You have magic hands~!”

Seongwoo clearly felt bad for not recognizing it and despite he couldn’t see so clearly what Euigun had made, he overreacted in a positive way in order to make him feel good. After all, it was the thought that counted as his mother said, and a present that was made for you was a hundred times more precious and valuable than one that was bought.

“Glad you like it! Put it on your dresser and then never touch it again, okay? Or you will definitely break it!”

The other kids laughed. Seongwoo pulled a ‘hing’ face of offense, but he couldn’t deny it nor could anyone seriously defend him. Even his own mother was rushing to take it out of his hands after he got it out of the box, a cautious, concerned look on her face. Once she saved the object's life, she bent down and kissed her son on the face. He smiled, clearly enjoying the sign of affection despite being slightly embarrassed it was in front of a bunch of other boys and girls his age or older. He usually didn't Llow kisses in public but he would for special events.

“I wouldn’t have you any other way, but yes, the boy is right. We should put it somewhere where you can look but never touch it. Mom will dust it off for you.”

 

 

After the barbecue, cake, and opening the presents, the kids changed into swimsuits to go into the blow-up pool since the weather was heating up. Euigun couldn’t swim yet and the water seemed rather deep as he saw the other kids splashing around and he balked at the ladder while he was following Seongwoo inside of it. Seongwoo looked back and then up at him curiously as he froze at the top of the ladder, gripping the poles tightly, staring at the water with a ghostly pale face.

“It’s not deep. We can stay by the wall. If you start to fall, I’ll grab you, okay? I can swim so you don’t need to worry.”

Euigun smiled, instantly reassured. He still wasn’t about to jump in like the others. He climbed into the water slow and shaky, constantly looking down to make sure his feet didn’t miss a step. Seongwoo hovered behind him with his arms out as if shielding him, then when he got into the water Seongwoo held his arms and led him to the side of the pool. Euigun held the edge and felt reassured.

He was able to sink lower into the cool water and swish his feet around in it as he walked. He loved the feel and smell of cold water. His face split into a huge grin, any traces of apprehension or fear gone.

Seongwoo peaked around his shoulder with a toothy grin, his dark brown eyes crinkling up in an attractive, sweet way that made him look all the cuter and kinder. He hugged Euigun and lightly pushed him into the water up to his chin, attempting to play around with him but being careful not to scare the boy who couldn’t swim.

Euigun didn’t mind so much. He felt safe with Seongwoo, as usual. That was the benefit of your best friend being older. As long as they were together, he magically felt fearless. Even when they had to pass by the bug kingdom to get to the metal slide at the playground in their neighborhood.

Seongwoo’s cousins and friends called to him to join their splashing war but he ignored them. Instead, he stayed in the corner with Euigun who wanted to stick close to the side in case he started to fall in. They lightly splashed at each other and Euigun watched with fascination as Seongwoo showed off his moves from swim class, especially how he could tread water and kick up a tsunami his legs were so strong.

“It feels great, right? Not scared anymore?”

“I hope I can grow up quickly and learn how to swim like you.”

“I’m not that good yet. Give me one more year and I’ll teach you how. In this swimming pool, next year.”

Euigun grinned and high fives him  to seal the deal. “It’s a deal.”

“Want to see something really cool? I can mimic a dolphin!”

Seongwoo then swam around in a circle, diving his upper body in and out of the surface of the water, making screeching noises that oddly very much sounded like a dolphin. Euigun let go of the side of the pool just long enough to give his funny, talented hyung the applause he deserved.

“I can do a crab!” he bragged, then stuck his hands out opening and closing them as he moved back and forth.

They both laughed as they continued to mimic animals and played a guessing game as to what the other was acting like. Eventually they joined the others, though Seongwoo continued to stay next to Euigun in case he fell in the water and panicked. He saw the youngest boy as his responsibility and he didn’t mind because he wanted mostly to spend time with his best friend in any case.

At some point, one of Seongwoo’s cousins made him feel down because he teased him. “Oh, you have something on your face. Hmm? It won’t wash off. Oh, that’s right because you’ve got permanent dirt spots there. Dirt boy, dirtwoo!”

“That’s not funny…” Seongwoo pouted, hiding his freckles under his face.

The boys laughed, repeating the hurtful nickname they found funny. Seongwoo knew that they didn’t really mean anything bad by it and usually he took jokes just as well as he could give them. However, he was sensitive these days about his freckles because he was made fun of them quite often and had developed a complex. He had asked his mother if he could have them surgically removed but she had said absolutely no.

“What’s wrong, Seongwoo?” Euigun asked in concern, pulling off his hand gently when he came over to the side of the pool where the younger was hanging off the edge, watching the adults talk over some drinks.

Seongwoo sighed shakily and then bit his lip, fighting back tears. “They made fun of my freckles. Called them dirt.”

Euigun glared at the group of kids he overheard chanting negative names. “That’s not cool. You know what they are more like? They are like stars.”

“Star? You mean byul?”

Euigun nodded, smiling proudly. He had been waiting for the day that he could show off his English skills to Seongwoo. His mother had been showing him songs from youtube and this was from his favorite. He sang the song and then Seongwoo joined him, knowing exactly what it was, though they didn’t know the meaning of all the words that they were singing.

“Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are, up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky…”

“Your freckles are like three stars next to each other in the sky. Bright and pretty and fun to look at. That is what I have always thought. I think it makes you special. I promised not to stress about my name because it makes me unique and you like it. So, you have to do the same with your freckles then. I like them, a lot. So don’t stress about it anymore, even if someone makes fun of them. I will be sad if I can’t look at the stars even in the day anymore.”

Seongwoo shyly grinned and poked at the freckles Euigun had just been caressing. “Hmm, okay…they won’t go anywhere…”

Euigun took hold of his wrist and brought his hand back into the water, lightly linking their fingers and cocking his head as he looked at the older boy with a rather serious expression. “You won’t go anywhere either, promise?”

“I promise…”

“What are you boys doing looking so cute and red? Did one of you finally confess? Shall I start planning the wedding?”

“Mom!” The boys both complained as their mothers were there at the pool side, splashing water and teasing the two suddenly bashful boys holding hands.

“What? Not like we said anything wrong~”

“We’re just saying~”

The playful, brightly smiling mothers who had for once almost no signs of the usual stress and sadness they usually felt in their eyes childishly stuck out their tongues as they continued to splash their adorable sons who had their little hands up in front of their faces to block the waves coming their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this short chapter. I thought it's perfect for this hot summer weather since Seongwoo's birthday is also in one of Korea's hotter months. I hope you squealed and melted at the cuteness. These two are so precious, even more so as kids. Please tell me what you think~ comments and kudos are always appreciated and loved dearly. Recommend to your friend if you are liking this as well! 
> 
> See you in a week with a new fluffy, comical chapter. Stay cool and go swimming! 


	4. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Euigun and Seongwoo dress up as a black cat and white dog to go trick or treating together with their mothers. Seongwoo is there for Euigun when he gets terrified from a neighbor's haunted house they go through for charity. Seongwoo spends the night at Euigun's house, watching scary movies, cuddling, and chatting under a homemade fort. 

Euigun was excited for his fourth Halloween, which promised to be one he could actually remember well. He was at an age where he remembers things so well that he would tell stories to his mother about previous months up to nearly two years ago, starting with ‘along time ago, do you remember when…?’ His mother would laugh and tease him that he couldn’t say that was a long time ago because she was several times older than him and to her a year ago felt like just a few weeks ago.

Euigun would then press at the slight wrinkles around her mouth, nose, or eyes and tell her that she wasn’t old and those lines showed how wise and kind she was, as his grandma had said once. Old people were ugly and she was as beautiful as a queen, he told her, which made her beam and tear up and woe about all the girls she was going to have to chase off their lawn in the future because of how charming her boy was.

She fixed the white hat and repainted his nose with the tip of her mascara brush. He was dressed all in white with a sewn in tail and white hat with puppy dog ears that he had used last winter when he played in the snow. He was cosplaying as a dog. He had wanted to go as a cat since that was his favorite animal but his mother had convinced him to have a complimentary ‘couple’ look with Seongwoo whose mother had already made him a cat suit.

Euigun had agreed after his mother convinced him that he resembled a dog more and Seongwoo resembled a cat and they’d be like a super hero duo with the power of animal shifting. He was terribly weak to the words ‘super hero’ and ‘Seongwoo’. He had made her promise that he could be white since Seongwoo was black then they would look more like a duo, like Kung Fu Panda colors were.

“Your precious Seongwoo and his mother will be here in just a minute. Do you need to go pee?”

Euigun stopped habitually chewing on his nails as his mother looked him over one last time, squatting down in front of him. She smiled as his big, brown, almond shaped eyes fixed on her and he nodded his head just slightly, always embarrassed about having to be joined in the bathroom. He had thought he was big enough to go on his own but the other week he had had an accident at his kindergarten, making him humiliated. He was more terrified of that happening again than feeling temporarily embarrassed because he still needed assistance in the bathroom.

His as cool as ever, even taller somehow Seongwoo hyung could go to the bathroom by himself, so he went with him at the kindergarten now since they attended the same one which their mothers had insisted on so they could spend more time together. Seongwoo helped him in the bathroom so it wasn’t as embarrassing as it was when he was at home or somewhere with just his mom.

“I will go with you. It will be hard to get out of these clothes. You could get stuck and fall.”

He smiled softly as he took his mother’s hand. It was his mission to make his mother happy by doing the skinship she liked that she complained his daddy never did anymore. Such a kind woman she was. How she had ended up with his T-Rex of a father he didn’t get.

She understood why her proud son was hesitant to tell her honestly when she needed to go to the bathroom and made up some excuse for why she was helping him so he didn’t feel so much that he was a baby still. She had him drink milk and eat eggs every day, saying that if he did he would become a big boy and even taller than his bestie in no time and wouldn’t need her help for anything. He could even put his own shirt and socks on by himself now, after many stubborn attempts. Which assured him the trick worked like Hogwart's magic. 

After finishing, he climbed on the foot stool and washed his hands on his own, his mother standing there in her baker costume smiling proudly. He laughed cutely and smiled with self-pride into the mirror as he rinsed off the soap. There was hardly anything that he liked more than making his mother feel proud of him. Well, maybe seeing Seongwoo…?

“How much longer, Mommy?” he asked.

She chuckled and shook her head in a teasing, amused way. “You both get so antsy to see each other. Like you have ants in your pants. We might just have to move into one big house or rebuild over the run-down house right next to theirs at this rate. Surely your father would be thrilled about that, wouldn’t he?”

“I don’t have ants in my pants. But I think Daddy does, lots and lots of them. Why doesn’t he like Seongwoo? Seongwoo is the cutest, nicest, funniest, handsomest person ever!” he humphed.

“Most handsome,” she corrected gently, tugging at his droopy white dog ear as he pouted and then growled at the mirror, raising his hands up in the form of fierce wolf claws. “I don’t know why either. I don’t think he has anything against Seongwoo personally. It’s something else about Seongwoo’s parents. They were close but…we all had a falling out. It’s okay though. Mommy is close friends with them and Mommy has the magical power to get your way and my way with Daddy. You can keep seeing Seongwoo no matter how often Daddy tries to stop it. Ignore how grumpy he is. Daddy loves us and he’s just looking out for us. Sometimes he just overreacts or is misguided because he has been hurt inconceivably.”

“Ah, I see. Like how sometimes Spiderman and Batman have to do bad things when they actually mean to do good?” he reasoned.

Her smile was bittersweet, troubled, and slightly amused in the mirror. “Right, something like that. Do you like your costume? Anything that we should change or add last minute?”

Euigun turned around on the stool left and right, checking his reflection in the mirror. He wiggled his bottom so that the padded, stuck-out tail would swish. He scrunched up his nose and barked, imitating a puppy.

 

“I think it’s good. What do you think Mommy?”

“I think it’s really adorable. I just want to bite you!” She opened her mouth wide, swooping down on his face.

“Ah! No, I’m still human! Mommy~! Don’t eat me! I look good but I don’t taste good, I swear!”

 

 

Euigun ran out of the bathroom screaming as his mother acted like a monster about to chomp him in two. There came a knocking sound at the door while they were running around the living room. Euigun looked just like a dog as his head went towards the door with curious, excited eyes, and it seemed like his tail was wagging and his long, floppy ears swishing as he ran over to it, barking in greeting.

There came a sweet sounding ‘yaong~ let me in, yaong~ trick or tuna please, yaong~’ from the door that could have only been the six-year-old boy that was Euigun’s best friend and partner in crime. Their mothers could be heard laughing from the opposite sides of the door, Seongwoo’s mother’s beautiful, tall, slim silhouette outlined under the porch light through the small side window panes.

“Calm down, Euigun-ah. You have to greet properly even if we see them a lot, okay? Always act with manners, especially if we have guests at the house. It’s very important,” his mother patted his head, gently pulling him from the door that he was about to open.

“Neh!” he barked happily, fighting back an excited giggle.

His mom opened the door. The mothers found that as usual their sons were both bouncing up and down, impatient to see and greet each other and start their next round of mischief.

Seongwoo was dressed in all black pajamas with a black and pink cat eared headband on and whiskers drawn on his face. The costume was completed with a tail that he could move by pushing a button on a ring he wore.

After their hug, they showed each other their costumes, full of babbling comments like ‘look at this part!’, ‘see what this can do!’ or ‘so cool~’ The mothers just watched them or shared a knowing, amused look, standing there in the cold with the door wide open so all the neighbors could see inside the home if they wanted to. Eventually, Seongwoo’s mother sort of pushed the two ever so gently. They continued to babble, but moved further into the house. It looked as if she was a farmer hurdling animals ever so subtly into a truck before hauling them off. Just before she shut the door, she noticed the pumpkins carved and lit up sitting on their porch.

“Seongwoo, look! It’s the pumpkins we carved!”

“Wah~!” Seongwoo rushed to her side to get a better look. Then, he pointed and repeated what she had just said as if he was informing her, his voice comically rising up like he was a professional singer.

The other day they had gone to a pumpkin farm, picked pumpkins, and then had a class with their families about how to cut them to make a Jack o’ Lantern. Even Euigun’s father had stayed for the event, for once shutting off his phone and smiling and joking with the other adults and playing with his son which was also rare. The holidays brought their families together, which was why Seongwoo and Euigun looked forward to those special days coming the most.

Euigun knew that Seongwoo was really ecstatic right now and that the pumpkin carving had special meaning to him. He wished that Seongwoo could have a memento of it and recall it with the same beautiful smile he had now forever. Even if someday for some reason they couldn’t see each other, like their fathers actually succeeded in banning them from meeting or their mothers gave up on fighting for it. Seongwoo was never allowed to be sad, Euigun wouldn’t stand for it.

Euigun tugged his mother’s sleeve. She bent down and he whispered to her, “Can we keep the pumpkins? I want to give them to Seongwoo…”

“Sorry honey. They are a vegetable, even if we scooped out all their seeds and guts inside. The shell will start rotting and smelling soon. We will have to throw it away in a few more days.”

“Aw…” the boy seemed bummed.

“Hey, buddy, what’s wrong? Tonight is a party night. Smiles only!” Seongwoo came over so fast that he slid on the floor like he was on ice skates.

His mother supported his back as he tipped backwards a bit too far and Euigun quickly reached for his arm in case of that as well. Seongwoo ignored his near accident out of sheer clumsiness and not being careful, making silly faces at the younger boy. The rest of them either looked panicked or slightly annoyed.

“Mwoya? Stop, you look ugly!” The boy laughed, teasing Euigun as he covered his own eyes, peeking through one set of fingers.

“Let’s go Trick or Treating now! I brought a bucket I think you will like!”

“Oh, a present? Yes! Show me, show me, hurry up~” Euigun sniffed around Seongwoo in a circle as if he would magically find the present in his costume or hidden in thin air.

Seongwoo’s mother showed two plastic buckets, one which had the Hulk face and another that had Iron Man’s face. Euigun instantly took Iron Man since he was a fan of him. They argued about who was the most likely to win if the two ever fought.

 

 

Their mothers followed behind the two as they walked down the dark street, gossiping and pointing at other kids. The boys were only interested in talking about which of their neighbors they thought would be the most generous in giving candies. They chose the biggest one that had lights on so someone was clearly home. They followed what their mothers had told them to do. They knocked on the door, saying ‘trick or treat, happy Halloween!’

When the door opened, an old woman dressed as a witch and an old man dressed as Frankenstein appeared. They commented about how adorable the kids were, thinking they were brothers because they looked similar and were matching. The boys said that they wished.

The elderly couple gave them a few pieces of candy each and the boys thanked them with huge, grateful grins, surprised because they had expected only one candy from each house. Their mothers asked permission and were able to get a picture for the boys first Halloween together with the couple and their large, welcoming, bright house.

As they went down the street, collecting an eventually full plastic bucket of candy, their mothers talked and took pictures, the boys played and joked around and sang, and the people they met inside the homes were very friendly and many of them commented about how cute and well mannered the boys were.

 

 

Seongwoo wanted to go down another street until he saw that Euigun was walking much slower, slowly blinking his eyes, and often yawning. He rushed over and took the buckets in one hand, supporting his younger friend with a half hug.

“Are you tired?”

“Hmm…”

“Let’s go home then.”

“No, it’s okay. We can hit…a few more…” the plump younger boy dressed as a white puppy yawned and rubbed his half droopy, almond eyes, one with a freckle underneath as if god had made a slight accident while painting on his long lashes.

“Nah, forget it. We can go back and rest, count our candy, watch a scary movie.”

On their way back, they came across a shed that was decorated like a haunted house. The family there had planned it and since it cost quite a bit they were asking two dollars per person to go in and that would be donated to the community shelter to help abandoned and lost animals. They all had a soft spot for animals and liked to donate but the one that hesitated was Euigun. He didn’t want to admit it but his mother knew at least. He was scared of not only bugs but also things that were spooky. He was in fact still scared of the dark, which was why he slept with two Spiderman night lights.

“D-do we r-really have to?” Euigun stuttered nervously.

Seongwoo somehow seemed to know right away what the problem is.

“Yes, we do! If you go into these kind of things, you come out looking older and you even grow taller!” Seongwoo insisted brightly.

Euigun narrowed his eyes at him. He was sure Seongwoo was just saying this to get him to do something he didn’t want to, but he was tempted, tingling at the ears already. Seongwoo knew just how to get his friend who wanted desperately to grow up and look older and cooler than him to do things.

“Really! It’s happened to a lot of my friends and even to me. Let’s go!”

With that, Seongwoo grabbed Euigun’s hands, put them on his shoulders, and marched bravely through the spider web door with the spiders and bats hanging from the roof.

Euigun’s grip was quite painfully tight on Seongwoo as he bravely marched into the dark room, muttering under his breath, “Ghosts aren’t real. I’m not scared. Nothing scares me. This is going to be fun.”

They both screamed as spiders, cobwebs, and a skeleton dropped down from the ceiling onto them. They could barely see with the purple lighting inside from a black light. The whole place was decorated with things that were creepy. Dolls, severed heads and limbs, bleeding animals, zombies, witches, bats, and phantoms. It was ten horror movies brought to life at once. They clung to each other as they tried to find the way out, both screaming bloody murder at each new discovery of creepy. Eventually Euigun was merely blindly clinging to Seongwoo’s back, his head buried in his shoulders as he cried.

“Hey, you’re making me even more scared. Now I can’t breathe,” Seongwoo complained in a choked, irritated voice.

Euigun tried to mutter that he was sorry but he was scared amidst his pitiful sobbing. That calmed Seongwoo down considerably. His best friend was clearly upset beyond control and he was the only person he had to cling on to. He needed to be reliable support. He needed to protect and encourage his friend. On top of all, he needed to get them out of there as soon as possible.

“It’s going to be alright, Gun-ah. I’ll get us out. Hold on.”

Seongwoo kept himself still, ignoring the distractions and noises coming from a cd player on a bloodily painted desk with a severed toy pig’s head on top. He was able to see a bright light down some ways which had to be the entrance since it was different from the other lights and there wasn’t anything creepy seemingly there. He inched that way, hugging Euigun to his side and keeping his hand over the other’s eyes, whispering comforting words and singing to him. When they were almost outside, a zombie jumped out and made a move to grab and eat them. Seongwoo screamed and punched him hard in the face, then dodged past him and outside.

“Oh, my word! Was it that scary? My poor babies.” Euigun’s mother was there with her arms open and a look of slightly concerned sympathy, having heard her son’s screams and cries for her.

They both rushed to her and she gave them warm hugs. Minutes later, Seongwoo’s mother was apologizing to the zombie who was actually the owner of the place as it turned out, Park Ajussi. Despite having a bloody nose, he had found the whole ordeal funny and praised the apologetic boy for his bravery, strength, and quick reflexes. Seongwoo said that he wasn’t sure where it had come from but he felt like a superhero with his friend being scared, as if he was charged with the duty of saving a princess or damsel in distress like in Avengers movies or video games.

 

 

When they got home, they changed into pajamas, washed up, and counted their candy. Seongwoo’s mother had agreed to let Seongwoo spend the night since the next day was a weekend and he was too excited to sleep well anyway. She explained what was in the bag, reminded Seongwoo about being good and not throwing his medicine down the sink, then she kissed him and left.

Euigun’s mom helped set up a fort for them in Euigun’s room and turned on a Halloween movie. It was a ghost animation for kids called Casper, which Seongwoo and Euigun’s mother both promised the coward wasn’t frightening. Euigun still didn't like the look of some of the other ghosts besides Casper and the music and decrepitated houses made him uncomfortable.

The only way to get him to calm down and be quiet so that Seongwoo could enjoy the movie was for them to cuddle under a bunch of blankets with the light on and the windows closed and blinds drawn completely. Seongwoo was used as a teddy bear. He buried his head in the crook of Seongwoo’s shoulder when he got scared of something, shutting his eyes tight. Seongwoo was in charge of telling him when that part was over, then he’d watch through one hesitantly peeked open eye, clutching Seongwoo's body tight under the blankets.

 Seongwoo laughed and pat his head at these times but never made fun of him for being scared.

“This is not manly of me at all. I’m not cool. I guess that going through the haunted house didn’t work for me. Can you keep this a secret?” he whispered, frowning.

Seongwoo nodded, poking at the younger’s fluffy cheek with affection. “Sure. You have to keep a secret for me then.”

“Sure, what is it?” Euigun was sort of excited because Seongwoo had never entrusted him yet with secrets, he had almost thought his hyung didn’t have any because he lived in such a brave, straight-forward, honest manner. "I won't tell a soul anything you ever say. Or stick a needle in my eye."

Seongwoo shuttered and cutely scrunched up his perfect nose. “Ew, gross, never do that! Anyways. I think...hmm, well, I think I like being cuddled a bit too much. You’re a guy. I heard I shouldn’t like that…”

“Hmm? Why? I like it too. It feels warm and cozy and good. Why can’t boys cuddle?”

“I don’t know. I guess we can’t once we become adults…”

“That’s weird…”

“I think so too.”

“Let’s not grow up then. Stay away from scary things, keep our cuddles, and delay growing up as long as we can.”

Seongwoo laughed and ruffled his hair. “Aigoo. Every day here you are talking about wanting to speed up time so you can be older. You’re just saying that because you’re terrified of going into a haunted house ever again. I won’t make you, don’t worry. You puffy faced baby~” he teased.

For once, Euigun didn’t object to or get upset by being called this. He rather preferred the term right now if it meant that he didn’t have to watch scary things or stop cuddling with his best friend just because he was a guy.

“I’m your baby, yup. Your baby brother. I wuv you.” Euigun still couldn't pronounce certain letters accurately being that he was young and developing. 

They hugged tight and both sighed in content as they turned to the movie again. Seongwoo spoke several minutes later, his tone was quite forlorn.

“Aw, I love you too. That would be nice if you were. It would be nice if we were family and lived together and never had to separate…”

“We won’t separate, hyung.”

“Oh? You called me hyung?” Seongwoo asked with delighted surprise.

Euigun nodded and snuggled closer to the taller, skinnier boy’s warmth. “I’m your baby brother right now, that’s why. It’s only for today.”

Seongwoo smiled wide and nuzzled his temple. “Oh, well then, it’s an extra happy Halloween for me.”

"I hope we can be happy every day, hyung." Euigun sighed, knowing but wishing it was true.

"We can, if we can see each other. Hopefully even more often than now."

"That would be great..."

"Wishes come true if you look at the stars and make the same wish repeatedly. That's what my mommy says."

Euigun looked up at the glowy stars stuck up on his ceiling and did so, because that was the best he was going to get right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halloween is my favorite Holiday next to Christmas. I pictured these two going as a puppy and a cat, complimentary black and white, complete with tails and ears and face paint. I liked the idea of Seongwoo being courageous only for Daniel's sake, who is the biggest coward of them all. Which is funny I think because Daniel is obsessed from a young age with being masculine and strong and not showing fear. Yet he's at times a huge baby which is amusing yet also pathetic in a very cute way to all that see him like that. I hope that this chapter wasn't too short and it was still easy to picture. Hmm, did you catch those hidden gems I told you to look out for~
> 
> Trick or Treat?
> 
> Next chapter involves a white Christmas.
> 
> <3 Raina


	5. White Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas plans get canceled and the two families get stuck inside because of snow. Euigun and his mother stay at Seongwoo's house to soak in their warm atmosphere, Seongwoo's father cosplays as santa and acts as the loving father that Euigun wishes he had, the bffs play in the snow, watch Home Alone together, and open presents. The happy holiday is overshadowed by Euigun and his mother's hateful feelings towards their absent father/husband and Seongwoo works hard to make the atmosphere bright in comforting them. The boys also experiment about 'cooties' and their various properties on the human body, for science purposes.

“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, HEY!”

Four-year-old Euigun and five-year-old Seongwoo were singing while they walked from their snowy topped car towards Seongwoo’s snowy roofed house. They were coming back from a special service at church, which at these times since their mothers were involved heavily in the community especially religion and charity so they forced their families to come along. Originally, they had had an outing planned afterwards to celebrate the special day, but it had snowed a lot and was even snowing continuously now, so the trip had been postponed to another day.

The two boys were directed to go into the house while their mothers and Seongwoo’s father were talking at the front door but they merely ran around the yard, catching snowflakes in their hands and mouths, frolicking.

“Forget it then. We will just stay here. Merry Christmas!” Euigun’s mother snapped, which was unusual for her with her kind disposition, and slammed her folder phone shut.

Seongwoo’s mother and father were standing next to Euigun’s mother as she put her phone in her purse and let out an irritated, defeated sigh. Seongwoo’s mother rubbed her arm and smiled softly, an image of a true angel in human form and just as enthrallingly beautiful.

“Just stay with us for Christmas. We prepared presents for you both as well. It will be better than going to your empty house. You shouldn’t be lonely on Christmas and your mood will bring Euigun down and give him more bad memories…”

“Hmm, let me talk to Euigun about that but I bet he would like it.”

She attempted to smile but it was weak and the stress her marriage life had been bringing her had brought out new wrinkles that her friend hadn’t recalled her having before. Honestly, if it wasn’t for her son, she would have ran away back to her parents up north a long time ago. It took her a few minutes of calling him before Euigun gave up playing temporarily to pay his mother some mind.

“Why, mommy?” he asked curiously as he danced on his toes and glanced over at Seongwoo who was making a giant snowball, clearly antsy to go back out.

“Your father won’t be able to make it tonight…” she replied with a somber yet calm tone.

Euigun instantly froze and his expression turned down. “Oh…”

“I know how much you were looking forward to it. He just can’t come back with this storm,” she lied, her husband having said that he was too tied up to come back tonight from his business trip and he didn’t believe in the holiday anyway.

“It’s always work…” he grumbled with a pout of his plush lips.

“Try to understand, baby. Someday when you are the owner of a company you will have the same issues,” she reasoned as she hugged her down-trodden son sweetly.

He hugged her leg and buried his face in her parka. “No, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t be like him.”

“You are very sweet and considerate, so you’re right. You probably wouldn’t…” She kissed the top of his head and pat his bum. “Seongwoo’s mommy said we can stay here and celebrate. I figured you would like that. We can open presents, watch movies…”

Euigun really didn’t like the idea of going back to their large, empty house. Even the sparkling, festively decorated Christmas tree and piles of presents with his name on it from Santa weren’t going to be enough to cheer him up after his father’s recent betrayal. His mother seemed sad and he would be bored and lonely. It would be much better if he could play with Seongwoo. Seongwoo was good at lifting his mood after all.

“Can I play in the snow? Will Seongwoo stay there all day?” he asked hopefully, looking up at her with a puppy like expression, almond eyes sparkling.

“Sure, he will be. It’s his home and with the snow no one is driving anywhere, silly. Go play a bit more then, but you can’t stay out for too long at one time while it’s snowing like this. It’s going to be getting dark soon. I’ll call you when it’s time in and you can’t fuss or there won’t be any more playing in the snow the rest of this winter.”

“Okay, I got it! I will be a good boy, just watch!” Euigun crossed pinkies with his mother, making a promise.

 

 

Seongwoo’s mother came out with gloves, scarves, and hats to put on so they could play in the snow longer and stay warm. Then, the three adults went inside, watching the two boys playing outside for a while as they chatted. Euigun went to help Seongwoo build a snow man, eventually convincing him that a snow cat would be much more original. Seongwoo teased him about his cat obsession. Euigun flushed and denied much too loudly that he didn’t have that.

In actuality, he knew it but he didn’t want to admit that he wasn’t ‘cool’ like the older boy’s friends. Euigun’s room was recently decorated with cat wallpaper even.  Though Seongwoo had never once said it was ‘uncool.’ After that day where insulting him once had turned him into a waterfall of a crybaby, Seongwoo was careful with his word choices and how honest he was with expressing his opinions.

Euigun had the brilliant idea to use rocks from the uncovered area of the garden bushes to make eyes and a nose and a fish in its mouth. While Seongwoo was putting on the final touch, smoothing out the cat’s bent tail, Euigun surprised him by dumping a handful of snow down his shirt.

“Aiya!” he shouted and squirmed as the substance gave him a shock, melting down his back.

Euigun was holding his stomach as he giggled, his mandu cheeks turning rosy.

“I’m gonna getchu back so bad!” Seongwoo glared at him, digging in the snow with his gloved hand.

Euigun dodged the half-made, rather fluffy snowball and rolled behind the snow cat where it was at least safe. Seongwoo quickly made several mini snowballs packed as hard as he could get them so that they would be easier and better to throw. Then, he jumped around the cat and pummeled the younger boy crouched and peeking between his black fingers with a warrior cry.

“Boys~ Why don’t you come in?”

They ignored the calls from their mothers several times, insisting they weren’t that wet or cold and they wanted another five minutes or so at least. Seongwoo was the first to get exhausted with their snowball war play. He plopped down on his side and lied there, motionless and huffing with an expression as if he lost his soul. Euigun came over while laughing softly, squatted down, and tilted his head at him. He wished that he knew how to work a phone camera and had one on him at this very moment because it would be a funny picture. Seongwoo blankly stared through his finger lenses as he pretended to snap pictures from various angles.

“Shall we go in, hyung?”

Seongwoo was surprised by the endearing, polite term. It was very rare that Euigun ever used it. It was only when he was in a good mood and feeling exceptionally close and affectionate with him. Seongwoo, rather than responding right away, laid down in the snow on his back, looking up at the gray, foggy, snowflake filled sky. His face was being pelted by soft, chilly snowflakes drifting leisurely but he liked the feel of it.

He closed his eyes and hummed, moving his hands and arms about as if he was in a warm, cozy bed instead. The pillowy snow shifted around him as he did something like jumping jacks. His dad had showed him how to do this last year. It was called a snow angel.

“What are you doing?”

Euigun sat down in the snow, giving him a funny look with his head tilted, looking more than ever like a puppy. His dark chocolate covered almond eyes sparkled with curiosity and amusement like Seongwoo was the most fascinating creature he had happened upon on his adventurous climb up Mount Everest.

“I’m making a snow angel. Lay down a bit over there and I’ll show you. Well, it’s simple actually. You just move your arms and legs in the snow like this, then stand up after a minute.”

Euigun plopped back with a thud, then started swinging his arms and legs wildly. Seongwoo chuckled at his never-ending enthusiasm and energy as he watched him with his head turned.

“Perfect. Keep going.”

They counted to thirty in English, Seongwoo helping Euigun out when he forgot so that he would get naturally better at the language through practice. Then, Seongwoo stood up and helped pull the chubby boy up who probably would mess up his perfect angel print before he’d even seen it.

“Woah, it’s cool!” Euigun brightened with amazement. Seongwoo nodded and gave him a thumbs-up.

“You did a perfect job. Yokshi, my bestie.”

Euigun mimicked his thumb motion and laughed shyly which sounded like a soft ‘he he he’, his dimples suddenly prominent. Seongwoo poked at them with a snowy finger. Euigun looked over at Seongwoo’s angel and appeared immediately disheartened. When Seongwoo pressed him to say what was wrong with it or wrong with him, he responded softly with a pout that Seongwoo was still so much taller than him.

“Don’t worry. You will grow. I bet you will be taller than me eventually. I’m just older, that’s why I’m growing first. I will stop in a few years, I heard.”

“Ah, I hope so. I will drink lots of milk and always eat my vegetables, maybe even ask mommy for a second helping if I don’t feel like throwing up one time after eating them. We should go in. Aren’t you cold?”

Euigun rubbed his arm and looked up at him with concern.

“Yeah, but more than cold, I’m soaked and I don’t like that feeling. I feel all squishy and gross. Let’s go in.”

 

 

Seongwoo grabbed his hand and led him carefully through the snow-covered yard, pointing out where he remembered there being some toys and various gardening tools and decorations on the way to the sidewalk which was the area they considered safe. As usual when they got together, they turned every simple task into some kind of game. In the end, it was Seongwoo that discovered the ‘fire-breathing alligator’ in the snow covered lave lake, tripping and plopping on his face in the snow.

Euigun hesitated for a moment, not sure first what he should do in that sitation—laugh like he was tempted to or help him like he felt he should. He half chuckled, half worried as he asked about if he was okay or not while turning him over and helping him kneel in the snow. Seongwoo had a snowy facial mask on, spitting out white ice from his mouth. It was hilarious and the boy couldn’t help laughing then.

“Pleh, pleh, ugh, so gross, there’s a grass taste!” Seongwoo complained in a cutsy, whiney tone.

Euigun was still chuckling as he suggested, “I’ll get it right off you. Just wait a moment.”

Euigun gently wiped the snow off his face like he was the windshield wipers of a car. In no time, Seongwoo’s handsome face was again visible, though it was wet and really rosy from the cold. He sniffled and brushed aside his wet, black bangs.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime. That’s what besties are for.”

Euigun tried to pull him up but he wasn’t yet strong enough to lift the bigger boy. Seongwoo used the younger’s shoulder as leverage to stand up, then he draped his arm over and leaned on him as if he was exhausted. Euigun braced with all his might, proud of himself for not slouching or falling over as he half carried him to the door step.

“I think that banana milk I’ve been drinking these days is really working. I think I’m stronger,” Euigun confessed to him proudly as they stomped their feet on the doormat and brushed the snow off each other’s jackets and pants until they were mostly clean.

“Told you milk was the trick. Soon you will be able to piggy back me.” Seongwoo made a cheerful fist, smiling brightly.

Euigun shook his hands wildly about. “No, you’re too big for that! But maybe I can do it to my cat…”

“Neh? No, don’t try that. That’s how you get scratched all the time. You torture that animal. You should know that cats are just not into affection the same way dogs are.”

Euigun showed off the new scratch marks he had on his arms and hands from hugging and kissing and holding his cat too tightly as they went inside. Seongwoo commented about each one and gave them kisses to help speed up the healing process like his mother did. Euigun told him to stop because it tickled.

 

 

Seongwoo’s parents and Euigun’s mother were chatting in the living room with a movie on. Seongwoo recognized it and insisted they hurry to watch it. They left their wet clothes at the foyer and then sat on the floor in front of the adults so they could see the table better. There were places for them to sit down on the couch but they didn’t want to sit there since they would have to be apart, which neither wanted. They linked arms and Seongwoo rested his head on Euigun’s broad shoulder as they watched the movie with the usual expression that kids had in front of a turned-on television. They looked like zombies and ignored all the questions the adults asked them.

The thing that finally got their attention was when Seongwoo’s mother brought two cups of steaming, dark brown hot chocolate with snowman marshmallows floating inside of it. They clinked their cups together like they had seen their parents do with beers before, then tasted it and completely awed looks came on their faces. They expressed that it was the best thing they had ever had in their lives.

This was also a common expression from the two boys who tended to overexaggerate. Pretty much everything was the ‘best thing ever’ in their lives at one point or another. They were quick to like something else, though they never fully dismissed those things that they had liked originally, which their parents were grateful for. That meant that they could at least save some of the money in their pockets.

At some point during the movie, Seongwoo’s mother was sneaking pictures of them. One of those was of the boys copying the ‘scream’ expression that was popular from this moving, finding it incredibly entertaining especially when they did it together. Euigun’s mother kept chuckling, smiling sweetly, and ruffling their hair from behind, treating them more like two adorable puppy dogs.

 Just as the movie was over, Seongwoo’s father appeared, dressed as Santa, took pictures with both boys on his lap, and gave out the presents from underneath the tree. Euigun was fascinated with his beard and kept pulling at it, trying to get it off. Seongwoo had more interest in poking at his belly which felt like an actual pillow. Every time that Seongwoo’s father deeply went ‘ho ho ho’, the boys tried to copy it and the adults would smiley warmly, amused at the fact the boys couldn’t get their voices to go very low yet and they had these cute, scrunched up expressions as they attempted to figure out how to on the spot.

They listened to Christmas carols and sang as they opened up the presents. Seongwoo’s mother was as usual busy getting pictures and videos. Luckily, the both of them were camera hogs and total clowns in front of the video. They loved to have their pictures taken, especially together. In both homes, their fridges and kitchens and bedrooms were covered nearly to the brim with pictures of them and art that they had drawn each other as presents while they were forced to be separated in school. Though they had gotten to be together two days when there was a show and tell. Each of their first picks was to bring in and show off their awesome best friend.

“Do a V. Do something pretty. Do something handsome. Now try do something cute. Act angry. Act scary. Act silly.”

They did everything that Seongwoo’s mother asked without question, getting right up close together in front of the camera and mimicking each other’s poses. As usual the boys were in almost perfect sync, having struck the same sort of pose no matter the vague request as if they could read each other’s minds.

Then they had an idea of their own to amuse themselves. They played rock scissors paper and whoever lost had to get kissed, which both of them usually hated when their parents did. Seongwoo lost five times in a row, so Euigun was able to kiss him five times. Seongwoo tried to run away but Euigun grabbed his head and kissed him noisily on his cheek five consecutive times, each one longer than the next.

“Ah, the cooties!”

“Silly, boys don’t have cooties. Girls do!” Euigun insisted, wiping at his wet mouth.

Seongwoo stuck out his tongue at him while wiping at his cheek, clearly in a sour mood.

“Well, someday you are both going to like very much getting cooties from girls,” Seongwoo’s mother said with a giggle as she finally pocketed her phone.

“Nu-uh~ Never! Girls are yuck~!” They both insisted at the same time with looks of utter horror and indignation.

Euigun’s mother and Seognwoo’s father shared a look, laughed, and then pinched both of their cheeks, calling them adorable and clueless. After that, the boys grew annoyed with the adults and left to go play in Seongwoo’s room. They were the sort that couldn’t sit still without a thing to play with or something to do for more than a few minutes at a time.

 

 

 “What do you wanna do?”

“I don’t know. What do you wanna do?”

“I don’t know. Anything you wanna do.”

“But I don’t have anything I wanna do in particular, hmm…Well, it’s your room. The rule goes that you choose what we play.”

“I know. But we have played with everything I have here and my new stuff is in the living room not yet opened. I’m tired. Shall we just lay down on the bed?”

They laid down in bed for awhile, looking up at the ceiling. They started counting dots the found there until they grew dizzy or couldn’t remember how to count higher. Euigun grew curious about something and kissed Seongwoo on the cheek. Seongwoo looked at him in surprise, big eyes larger than usual like an adorable squirrel just startled.

“What was that for?”

“Do you feel it?”

“Feel what? You’re not a ghost, silly. Of course I felt it.”

“I mean the cooties. Are you feeling sick? Dizzy? Hot? Tingly? I’m not sure how cooties are supposed to work.”

“Ah, right. I heard boys have cooties too.”

He joked, “Are you sure? I’m pretty certain it’s only girls. You probably just weren’t paying attention and misheard again. You always do that. You’re worse than a fish.”

Seongwoo reddened and scrunched up his face. “I do not!”

“Do too!” Euigun stuck out his tongue in tease.

“Fine. Let’s keep giving kisses until we find out what cooties do. Maybe it takes awhile to work. If nothing happens, well then we know. Only girls have cooties.”

“Okay. Here.”

Euigun pressed his cheek towards the other and poked the upper part with his finger. Seongwoo swooped in and pecked him firmly for a few seconds on his cheekbone. He pulled back and looked at the younger boy curiously through one eye as if he was worried something terrible was going to happen now they were risking their lives for science’s sake.

“I don’t really feel anything. But it’s nice and warm and sort of tingly? Maybe it takes several. Let me have a go.”

They took turns kissing the same spot until they both admitted to feeling tingly, red, and their hearts were beating. They touched each other to prove it wasn’t just their imagination. They confirmed that cooties were indeed possible but the affects were light and not at all dangerous coming from boys. The last place they tried was on the lips, like they saw their parents doing. They rolled back in surprise after they did it just once because it felt different than the other places.

“Can I tell you something Euigun-ah?”

“Hmm, sure. You know you can tell me anything, Seongwoo.”

They held hands as they stared up at the ceiling again laying on Seongwoo’s pawprinted bed side by side. “I kind of liked that.”

“Me too…”

They both looked over at each other. Grins spread across their flushed faces, curving their eyes up into half-moons. They hadn't really understood the importance of a lip-to-lip kiss, but their first one had been pretty swell.

 

 

The boys were distracted from their chatting and resting when they heard the sound of someone crying and others shushing coming from the living room. They cracked open the door and poked their heads out into the hallway, Euigun on bottom, Seongwoo clamoring on top, using Euigun’s more stable, chubbier body as a balance beam.

It turns out it was Euigun’s mother. She was overwhelmed by her friends’ kindness, the warmth she felt in the house, how she felt envy and lonely because this was the sort of atmosphere she had wanted to raise a family in. Euigun’s heart stung at seeing his mother crying. Then he grew angry and hit the door jam.

“My stupid jerk of a father! Why does he have to cancel his promises even on important days like holidays? Why does he have to leave us alone? Why is he so selfish, only ever thinking of himself, the company and money? I won’t ever be like him. I hate that I even share the same blood with him. It’s disgusting. He’s a monster!”

Euigun then started scratching at his arms, telling his ‘bad blood’ to get out of his system. He only wanted his mother’s blood as he only wanted to take after her. His father could go rot in the ‘bad place’ that church was always talking about for bad people and ‘homos’.

“Euigun…” Seongwoo hesitated as he watched him with concern.

Euigun bit his lip as tears stung his almond, dark, soft looking eyes. He tried to fight them back. Seongwoo pushed his reddening arms to the side and hugged him tight around the neck, rocking the smaller bean side to side.

“Stop that, shh…You can’t take your blood out. Not all of it at least. There is still a part of your father in you no matter if you tried. I don’t know why because I haven’t learned about the body beyond ‘head, shoulders, knees, and toes’ basically. But I know that much. You will inherit his good traits only, I’m sure, and maybe his good looks and business smarts. I’m sure your father loves you guys, even if he doesn’t put you as the main priority.”

Euigun sniffled into Seongwoo’s shoulder as he grasped tightly to his shirt.

“Hyung…Can’t I just stay here and be your brother?”

Seongwoo pet his hair and rested his chin on the boy’s shoulder. “Sure, why not? I heard about this thing called adoption. It’s kind of like how you can sign some paper and get a puppy from a shop or a shelter. We could adopt you and then you can stay in my family and we can be brothers. I’m sure you would be happy here. And I think you could sleep in my bed instead of a dog house.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! Let’s go ask.”

Euigun’s mother was wiping her face with a tissue and sniffling as the boys walked out with their arms around each other hesitantly. Seongwoo’s mother and father noticed them first, sitting on the couch on either side, rubbing her back and comforting her with kind words. She looked and smiled kindly at them as if they were a cute sight.

“You have to keep going on, for your son’s sake. Just try to believe things will get better.”

“Maybe you should really have a serious talk with him and give an ultimatum. Is it going to be your family or your work? Because he’s clearly not good at juggling both.”

Euigun got shocked at that comment. In that case, he would lose his father for good he was sure. He always felt in some corner of his mind that his father cared less about them than work. Although he often acted like he hated his father and life would be better for both of them if he just disappeared, the idea of that actually happening was scary and painful. As he understood, every family needed a grown up man in the house to protect and ‘bring home the bacon.’ Although that expression didn’t make much sense to him because Koreans didn’t often eat bacon. It was delicous though, so he wished his father would share some more with him instead of keeping the meat in the house all to himself.

“It’s okay. It’s not really going to happen,” Seongwoo reassured into his ear, rubbing and squeezing his slightly thicker, warmer body.

“I don’t want to give him that option. I’m scared of his answer. Euigun needs a father figure, even if he’s not around. I don’t want to make him suffer at school from being a part of a divorced family.”

“But you are miserable like this…At this rate, he might lose you as well…” Seongwoo’s mother pressed with a choked up, nearly hysterical voice, clearly very concerned for her friend’s condition.

“Mommy’s happiness is most important. I don’t want to lose mommy from being too sad…” Euigun went over and touched her hand.

He had heard of cases where people went far, far away because they were too sad. Sometimes never returning. He couldn’t bear to be without his mommy, and also Seongwoo. They were the greatest joys in his life and the people that he loved and cherished the most. More so than any power ranger stickers, plushie, pokemon card, and blankie he owned.

She looked up at him in surprise, then quickly wiped at her red, wet eyes with a tissue. She put on a warm, comforting smile and held his hand and cheek.

“I’m not going anywhere honey. I have you. I will never, ever leave you. Because Mommy loves you more than anything.”

“To the moon and back?” Euigun stepped closer, Seongwoo trailing behind, keeping subtle contact with him and watching in silence with a worried, pensive look.

She promised, “And every star between.”

She hugged her son tight and he nestled into her bosom. They were quiet, enjoying their family moment for a few moments.

“Seongwoo was going to ask if we could be adopted into his family.”

“The both of us? While I’m still around? No, that isn’t possible. I’m sure though, if something ever happened to mommy that you could live here.”

“Really?” Seongwoo turned to his mother.

She brought him in for a hug of her own. Seongwoo looked a bit put-off but still obliged. He wasn’t that into hugs from his mother these days, not in front of others. It hampered his big boy image.

“Sure he could. Euigun will always be welcomed into our house. As long as you two are the closest of friends and his family is okay with that.”

They stopped hugging their mothers and sat down on the floor. “I changed my mind…” Euigun said after some thoughtful thinking.

“Hmm?” Seongwoo turned and asked him.

“I couldn’t live with you!” Euigun bursted out, sounding absolutely confident.

Seongwoo pulled a ‘hing’ face, looking outrageously offended. “Why not?” he whined.

“Because you break everything you touch, butterfingers! You would break all my stuff. I can’t have that. We better not ever live together. I would rather stay in a dog house outside.”

“Hey~” Seongwoo complained, offended and disagreeing.

Euigun said it was the truth so he couldn’t take it back or lie the opposite to make him feel good this time. Seongwoo turned away from him and crossed his arms with a ‘humph’. He went to sulky mode, insisting that Euigun’s word couldn’t be trusted, now that he had revealed there were times he had fibbed. Suddenly, Euigun didn’t like this game so much.

“Eh~ Sorry, hyung~ Forgive me~” Euigun acted cute while hugging him and kissing his neck.

“Oh, look at that~ Seongwoo is smiling. Seongwoo hates kisses from me.”

“I guess you aren’t scared of cooties anymore. Or is that only Euigun’s cooties are safe?”

Their mothers teased them as they snapped pictures and took videos to show off to their other friends or keep forever and torture them with the embarrassing memory. Both boys hid their blushing faces, feeling they got caught in the act.

“Mommy~” They both whined in unison.

“Son~” Their mothers sang back also in unison with bright, playful tones.

The four then stuck their tongues out at each other, going 'mehrong~' in a childish fashion before bursting into giggles and sharing a group hug. The atmosphere from then was returned to the way Christmas day should be. Full of warmth, cheer, and merriment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another name for this fluffy, adorable chapter full of snowy uwu is 'cooties'. I just love the kinds of conversations that kids in America have about getting cooties from kissing girls/boys lol. Oh, the innocence and how we change through the years of adulthood~ I don't know if Korea has the equivelant. I'm pretty sure they do but I'm not sure what it's called. So I just used the English word for now.
> 
> The boys don't remember it in Yes Sir but actually their first kisses were each other aw. I hope you enjoyed this Christmasy fluff! And caught the things I told you to hunt for ^^ Daniel's dad really was always such a jerk, now you can understand more the deep seeded hatred I believe. It's a wonder the kinds of things Korean wives put up with(this kind of person is common here, lots of men are workaholics that hardly come home). At least you can see how the boys have a deep bond with their mothers. The idea of them being roommates as kiddos or real life brothers I adore~ 'you probably don't need to be in a doghouse' haha. Such an Ong kiddo comment.
> 
> I wonder what your favorite part of this chapter was or your favorite chapter in this story so far? Just two more until I've run out of ideas and probably am going to mark this story complete. Enjoy while it lasts and leave me your thoughts below~! Thank you so much for reading this far and I love you all~ If you have an idea for an episode of these two please do let me know~
> 
> <3 Raina

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a prequel to Yes Sir, in which decades later these two meet as boss and employer, having been seperated at 7-8 years old by force and through an unfortunate, accidental car accident, not able to recognize or remember each other well, especially Seongwoo who suffered a head injury in the crash. It is good to read this story for you to understand why the fathers disapprove of their sons hanging out and get a better sense of the mood in this story but it's not necessary. For those that have read Yes Sir already, I hope that you can treasure hunt for the moments in each chapter where I allude to the the boys feeling the foreshadowing of something bad about to happen to them and how they strongly desire to be together always. I hope that you can get a good feeling of how these two used to be before their incident, how close they were and how naturally affectionate and caring, that is the reason why they were able to become familiar and fall in love hard with each other in such a short time in Yes Sir. 
> 
>  
> 
> Yes Sir is the original story which occurs decades after this Prequel ends, please read it I'm sure you will like it! Find it in my stories section.
> 
> Watch, Hourglass sung and written by Seongwoo, Daehwi, and Heize. It is an inspiration and theme for this story. 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0e9ZS3Iq2s


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